Maryland Off Broadway - Downtown Art & Entertainment District

Maryland off Broadway is an intimate two-block district being re-branded as Glendale’s "Downtown Art and Entertainment District”.

Such cultural districts are common in many cities, and provide a focus for nightlife and visitor trade. These districts generally have a concentration of theatres, nightclubs, art galleries, music clubs, concept stores, and other venues for live entertainment in addition to spin-off restaurants and bars. A similar cluster of theatres, music clubs, and art galleries is being encouraged on Maryland Avenue between Harvard and Wilson. Although anchored at either end by civic and cultural venues – the Alex Theatre to the north and the Central Library at the south - this stretch of Maryland Avenue has been a victim of the prolonged recession, experiencing frequent turnover and several high profile vacancies resulting from obsolete and bankrupt big-box retailers.

Maryland off Broadway is an economic development, planning, and urban design strategy designed to re-imagine this area as a vibrant cultural district. The strategy identifies opportunity sites for re-tenanting or re-development by on-trend restaurants, bars, and live entertainment venues; specialty shops; museum and gallery spaces; and a boutique hotel or inn. New theatres, such as Laemmle Cinemas, as well as art galleries and retailers are being courted for vacant and under-utilized properties in the district.

In addition, a series of legislative incentives and code amendments to facilitate and promote the district are being developed including: shared parking policies and parking incentives, universal valet programs, district licensing procedures to ensure minimum standards of quality and professionalism by entertainment operators and promoters, and façade and tenant improvement grants.